The Office of Transportation at N.C. State is doing a great job providing efficient transportation during the week; the Wolfline covers 14 routes during the day and the Werewolf provides transportation until 3 a.m. However, in an international student’s life there is a dire need of the Wolfline’s services on weekends. The majority of international students don’t have cars, making them very dependent on the transportation services provided by N.C. State.

Most international students live off-campus, Avent Ferry Road and Gorman Crossing being the typical locations for international student housing. Avent Ferry Road has become a very popular location over the last few years due to the presence of the Mission Valley shopping complex and, more importantly, the convenience of Food Lion.  By living in these areas though, international students are also at an extreme disadvantage.

The Office of Transportation needs to consider most international students are graduate students, and like every other graduate student they have a heavy course load, making the weekends the only time available for them to go grocery shopping. With an unreliable Capital Area Transit service, most students end up walking to Food Lion and back, while carrying a week’s worth of groceries.

According to the Office of Planning and Analysis, most international students are engineering majors, which results in many hours at the libraries on Centennial or Main Campus to complete school work. However, it’s a tough task reaching the library on the weekends from students’ apartments. This should influence the Office of Transportation to start service on weekends, much like the one that works during fall and spring breaks.

The international student community is one of the very few communities on campus that is a dedicated user of the Wolfline for their transportation needs. Whether it’s used for getting to classes, going to the grocery store or simply fulfilling the most basic necessities required for college survival, the Wolfline remains a lifeline for this community. The transportation department should always consider the importance of the Wolfline in an international student’s life while making any alterations to their routes. 

The Office of Transportation needs to realize that even if they decide to run a single bus during the weekends that would be more sufficient than the current situation– having no busses at all. Despite all of the transportation hardships, this community has grown tremendously over the past few years. We owe it to the international community to respect their needs, which includes providing ample weekend transportation.